Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: everything you need to know

Google's difficult second album

Reaction to the first Google Pixel was very good - at least among those people who managed to get one - and Google has gone on the record to say a follow-up is due this year.

You would expect Google's engineers to be getting better at this as they go along - the rumour is the original Pixel was pretty rushed - so we're eagerly looking forward to seeing what's in store. All the indications are it'll be the flagship Android phone to beat in 2017, although, we're getting a lot of mixed messages and conflicting information.

So what do we know about the Pixel 2.0, Google's difficult second album, and what can we speculate about?

Google Pixel 2 Release Date

Google has announced the new Pixel phones will be unveiled on the 4th October. You can watch the teaser video below:

Google Pixel 2 Price

The original Pixel was pretty expensive, starting at £599, and rising to £819 for the top-spec Google Pixel XL.

Unfortuntely, folks, tech doesn't get cheaper, so you can expect similar, or slightly inflated prices compared to last year.

We're guessing a £50 price rise for all models.

DroidLife recently reported that the Pixel 2 will cost $649 and $749 in the US, while the Pixel XL will be $849 and $949.

If the do a straight conversion (like Apple has), then it looks like our predictions will be correct.

Google Pixel 2 Specs

Most flagship smartphones released in 2017 have been using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, and it's mightily fast. It's still unclear whether Google will go one better, with the Snapdragon 836.

Pixel 2 would be the first phone to use the new Qualcomm chip, reportedly offering a 10-percent performance increase over the previous generation.

This is similar to the original Pixel, which, because it was released later in the year, made use of the 821 over the 820 found in other flagships.

But rumours suggest the 836 won't be ready in time.

Elsewhere, we can expect with 4GB RAM, 64 or 128GB storage, and no microSD expansion.

No news on battery size just yet.

There has been a lot of confusion around screen sizes, with some people suggesting Google will be announcing three phones, and some suggesting two. It's now looking more likely that the latter is more likely.

Different sources have suggested we'll see a Pixel 2 with a 4.97-inch screen, a Pixel 2 XL with a 5.99-inch display, and another model, with a 5.6-inch screen.

These will be OLED panels from LG, with a 18:9 aspect ratio (similar to the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8) and a 2560x1312 resolution.

It looks like the 5.6-inch model may have been dropped, and looking at the leak below, it appears there won't be a dual camera on board.

Google Pixel 2 Design

If leaks are to be believed the Pixel 2 will be an evolution of last years model.

VentureBeat has shared these leaked images:

The glass/perspex section on the rear is still present, but it's thinner.

We were expecting bezel-less displays - it's difficult to tell how large the screen is from this image, or where the bezels end.

There's a large speaker above the screen, and the fingerprint sensor is still on the rear of the device.

We expect this year's device will be waterproof, after it was missed from last year's handset.

More images have been leaked by Droidlife, these show the colours the new Pixel will come in:

The Pixel 2 will come in 'Kinda Blue', 'Just Black', and 'Clearly White'.

While the Pixel 2 XL will come in the funky Black and White (Panda) colourway, as well as the more traditional 'Just Black' option.

Google Pixel 2's other features

This is where things get really interesting, because last year the Pixel was very competent, but not really that special.

This year, it sounds like Google will be borrowing some of the HTC U11's innovations, namely, Edge Sense an BoomSound.

BoomSound will be great for anyone that likes listening to music out loud but doesn't have a Bluetooth speaker, while Edge Sense is the squeezable edges which act as a function button - it's a cool, useful feature.

While on audio - there are mixed reports around the Pixel's headphone jack. The most recent rumour suggests the Pixel 2 won't feature this legacy tech.

On the software front, you can bet that Google Assistant will be on board - and it should be even cleverer by the time October rolls around. On top of that, the newest Pixels will come sporting Android O, which is already available as a developer preview.

Don't forget the virtual reality angle either. There might not be a new Daydream View headset in 2017, but the new Pixels will definitely be built to be compatible with it, and any spec bumps will be made with VR in mind.